Is Kefalonia Worth Visiting?

Kefalonia holds the beach that launched a thousand Greek postcards, a curved bay of white pebble and turquoise water wedged between two mountains that's been voted Greece's best beach eleven times.

Kefalonia, the largest of the Ionian islands, sits just across a narrow strait from Ithaca, and Myrtos Beach on its northwest coast has earned Blue Flag status and international recognition for its water quality and setting. Reaching it means a steep, winding descent from the village of Divarata, and arriving before mid-morning matters both for parking and for beating the crowds that build through the day.

Beneath the island's surface, the Melissani Cave holds an underground lake lit by a collapsed section of roof, where boat rides cross startlingly blue water surrounded by stalactites, and the nearby Drogarati Cave, with its own natural chamber, has hosted opera performances for its acoustics. Assos, a small peninsula village north of Myrtos, sits below the ruins of a 16th century Venetian fortress and keeps pastel houses and waterfront tavernas that give it the feel of a scene straight out of the Odyssey.

Petani and Antisamos offer their own versions of the island's turquoise water, both noted for better snorkeling than Myrtos itself, and the Monastery of Agios Gerasimos, dedicated to the island's patron saint, draws pilgrims to its crypt and frescoed interior. Kefalonia also produces its own wine, most notably from the Robola grape grown on the slopes of Mount Ainos, the island's highest peak and a national park in its own right.

Kefalonia has its own international airport with flights from Athens and seasonal routes across Europe, along with ferry connections to the mainland ports of Patras and Igoumenitsa. It suits beach travelers, hikers, and anyone chasing the kind of scenery that made the island a filming location for Captain Corelli's Mandolin, and its size gives it enough variety to fill a week without repeating a beach.